Lennard J. Davis. Bending over Backwards: Disability, Dismodernism, and Other Difficult Positions.
New York: New York University Press, 2003. 224 pp. $21.00 (paper), ISBN 978-0-8147-1950-3; $65.00
(cloth), ISBN 978-0-8147-1949-7.
Reviewed by Susan Burch (Department of History and Government, Gallaudet University)
Published on H-Disability (November, 2003)
Lenny Davis’s admirers will welcome his most re-
cent work, Bending over Backwards: Disability, Dis-
modernism, and Other Difficult Positions. This com-
pilation of nine separate essays offers a panoramic
view of the author-activist’s evolving ideas about dis-
ability, disability studies, and literary historical criti-
cism. It covers a breadth of topics–the human genome
project, ADA court cases, concepts of citizenship, the
history of the novel, homosexuality, postmodernist
theory, the rise of Disability Studies, etc. A recent
addition to the NYU series Cultural Fronts, which
seeks to promote works of cultural criticism with pol-
icy implications, this is not intended primarily for an
audience of historians. Still, Davis’s work offers cre-
ative and challenging examples that may be useful to
our discipline and particularly to Disability histori-
ans.
Davis argues that disability, as a category of iden-
tity, has the potential to transform the postmod-
ern notion of identity. In previous works, which in-
clude Enforcing Normalcy and The Disability Studies
Reader, Davis outlined the social, scientific, and lin-
guistic processes that inform the meaning of “disabil-
ity.” In an edited collection of his parents’ correspon-
dence, Shall I Say a Kiss, and in his own memoir, My
Sense of Silence, Davis revealed in poignant and per-
sonal images the complexities of living as/with Deaf
people. Inspired by Jacques Lacan and Michel Fou-
cault, Davis melds the theoretical with the personal.
His most recent work is primarily a collection of
pieces previously published and the result of dialogues
Davis had with himself and others since their publi-
cation. Consequently, some chapters overlap in con-
tent and argument. Still, taken together, they reveal
a steep evolution of understanding. In writing this
book, Davis strives to remind scholars of the perva-
sive presence of disability, and its manifest possibili-
1
ties for clarifying and reconceptualizing academic and
practical definitions of identity and status.
Several chapters in Bending over Backwards sum-
marize arguments previously made by Davis in his
other books; most widely known is his contention that
the nineteenth century witnessed a watershed change
in conceptions of humans from ideals to norms, ex-
emplified by the rise of eugenics. Included in this
argument, Davis elucidates the extent to which the
idea of normalcy has been tied to, created by, and
developed with the idea of abnormal bodies. Several
chapters from this newest installment go further, link-
ing disability in new ways to the legal system, Amer-
ican politics, the environment, technology, and the
economy. Moreover, Bending over Backwards sharp-
ens the application of disability to cultural studies
and postmodernist theory, challenging the theoreti-
cal basis of identity politics and social construction-
ism, and promoting instead what he calls “dismod-
ernism.” Rather than tack on disability to the tra-
ditional interpretive troika of race, class, and gender,
Davis provocatively suggests that disability embod-
ies, supplants, and transcends these postmodernist
classifiers. According to Davis, it is in part disabil-
ity’s instability as a category that will allow Disabil-
ity Studies the chance to “provide a critique of and a
politics to discuss how all groups, based on physical
traits or markings, are selected for disablement by a
larger system of regulation and signification. So it
is paradoxically the most marginalized group–people
with disabilities–who can provide the broadest way of
understanding contemporary systems of oppression”
(p. 29).
His introduction, entitled “People with Disabil-
ity: They Are You,” goes further than most disabil-
ity theory scholarship. Augmenting the position that
disability directly and indirectly influences everyone,
Davis advocates a broader civil rights mandate by

linking disability much more closely with legal, cul-
tural, governmental, and social matters. His solution
is called dismodernism, which incorporates the value
that protections offered to any class be offered to all
classes (p. 30). With this theory, Davis conveys the
potential of dismodernism succinctly, asserting, that
“[i]mpairment is the rule, and normalcy is the fan-
tasy. Dependence is the reality, and independence
grandiose thinking. Barrier-free access is the goal,
and the right to pursue happiness the false conscious-
ness that obscures it. Universal design becomes the
template for social and political designs” (p. 31).
Several chapters may be of particular interest to
historians of Disability. Chapter 1, “The End of Iden-
tity Politics and the Beginning of Dismodernism,” of-
fers a coherent description of the parallels between
historical expressions of minority identities, particu-
larly framed by literary criticisms of Jacques Lacan,
Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, and Judith But-
ler. Critiquing genetic interpretations of disability
and normalcy, Davis relocates the discussion of es-
sentialism. He makes perhaps his strongest case for
the instability of identity and the value of dismod-
ernism here. Using the example of transgender poli-
tics and intersexed people, Davis reveals the “dissolv-
ing boundaries” of traditional identity categories (p.
17). The human genome project–a common target for
disability scholars–also plays a prominent role in this
essay. Yet Davis raises fresh and cogent questions
about the meaning of “correct” or “real” genomes–
what is the ideal, and how is that being defined?-
For instance, he questions what it means to eradicate
certain conditions that may ultimately prevent those
individuals from experiencing other disabling condi-
tions.
The chapter “Bending over Backwards” is partic-
ularly strong and illuminating. In it, Davis outlines
the Americans with Disabilities Act and specific cur-
rent cases testing the ADA. This close reading of le-
gal texts emphasizes the ways cultural norms frame
such documents and judicial decisions. The refer-
ences to common historical and contemporary pop-
ular images of disability broaden the implications of
the case studies, demonstrating in vivid ways the con-
struction of disability. “Go to the Margins of the
Class,” which focuses primarily on the brutal murder
of James Byrd Jr., is one of the finest pieces Davis
has created. In 1999 Byrd, a citizen of Jasper, Texas,
was dragged behind a truck for two miles, before he
ultimately was dismembered and killed. Viewing this
hate crime with equal and intensified attention to the
2
H-Net Reviews
issue of disability produced superb, shocking results.
This reviewer, like many, had heard nothing of Byrd’s
impairments–seizures and debilitating arthritis–when
national media covered the case. Davis potently chal-
lenges the premise that certain identities are more
important than others in hate crimes, and in society
generally. The writing is crisp and focused; his ex-
planation of evidence and his analysis will appeal to
the historically trained.
Although it was not his primary aim to do so,
Davis’s increased attention to the economic factors
that compound physical and mental impairment was
greatly appreciated by this reader. A multitude of
his examples depict the intimate and inextricable tie
between class circumstances and experiences of dis-
ability. Genetic testing, for example, occurs mainly in
affluent societies and for its members (p. 21), and the
majority of people with disabilities are poor, under or
unemployed, and undereducated (p. 28). Especially
in his study of employment law and disability, he il-
luminates the “dissolving boundaries” of identity and
brings disability into closer proximity to the main-
stream world. It is hoped that Davis will continue to
probe this issue in future works.
This book was not intended, nor does it qualify, as
a “history collection.” Its interdisciplinary nature and
strong theoretical and literary criticism framework
necessitate a different standard of argument than his-
torians apply. Thus this review cannot fairly critique
the sources using traditional historical measures. It
should be noted, however, that Davis’s primary ev-
idence reflects the diverse nature of his pieces. He
cites many classic texts in Disability Studies, includ-
ing Freakery, Claiming Disability, The Black Stork,
and Nothing about Us without Us. He frequently ref-
erences his own previous works, as well as critical lit-
erary studies, British novels, current American legal
briefs, and recent New York Times articles. Several
of the pieces in this collection, while historical in na-
ture, might have benefited from greater attention to
past evidence of activism. “The Crip Strikes Back,”
for instance, shares many similarities with Paul Long-
more’s work on the League of the Physically Handi-
capped; Bob Buchanan’s work on deaf laborers and
activists resonate with and contradict Davis’s posi-
tion that before the 1970s different populations of
people with disabilities did not previously see com-
monality with others (p. 11).[1]
One regret this reviewer had with the work was
the relative absence of direct evaluation and theo-
 H-Net Reviews

retical study of Deafness with/versus disability. As Equality, or sections from The New Disability His-
a leading theoretician of disability and the son of tory. Davis’s theoretical components, especially his
deaf parents, Davis is uniquely poised to review both. critiques of Foucault, could counterbalance the lack
His provocative ideas about the instability of identityof such study in virtually all Disability social histo-
and the powerful advantages of embracing disability ries.
might well challenge or at least complicate the tense Bending over Backwards may not be not an easy
relationship between the Deaf world and people who read for traditional historians; the essays are highly
identify as disabled. The collection would have ben- theoretical, often reading as a keen stream of con-
efited significantly from more thorough copyediting, sciousness. Something Davis does particularly well is
too; the endnotes are inconsistent and often inacces- juggle theory and activism deftly, employing language
sible. Davis should be commended for his provocative that makes their overlap plain to academics who
discussion of the human genome project and his pre- claim they are not activists, and activists who stake
vious work on the impact of eugenics. He could go no claim on theory. The writing is quirky at times,
still further with his analysis of the role of science sarcastic at others, and the high spiritedness of the
and popular culture; his next work–on what he calls book may challenge those who prefer more straight-
“bioculture”–promises to address this topic more fully.forward, tangible explanations. Still, this kind of
cutting edge historicization-meets-literary criticism
may delight many, opening new ground for interdis-
Like Paul Longmore’s recent memoir-collection ciplinary dialogue.
Why I Burned My Book, Davis’s compilation ulti-
Thus even with its limitations, Bending over
mately allows readers to see the ebb, flow, and evo-
Backwards remains an important and useful work for
lution of positions as well as the complex and diffi-
historians as a template for examining the myriad
cult personal relationship between scholar, activist,
ways disability and Deafness infiltrate vital aspects
and member of the disability community. In Bending
of our identity, including laws, cultural icons, litera-
over Backwards, the author acknowledges at the out-
ture, and citizenship.
set that the pieces do not fit neatly together. Since
many chapters repeat similar themes and assume Notes
some grounding in Disability Studies and Davis’s pre- [1]. Paul Longmore, “League of the Physically
vious works, it may be less useful to students or gen- Handicapped and the Great Depression: A Case
eral readers. Some of the repetition may prove useful Study in the New Disability History,” Journal of
in the end, however. Many selections, for example, American History 87:3 (2000): pp. 888-921; and
address issues of control and marginalization, lend- Robert Buchanan, Illusions of Equality: Deaf Ameri-
ing themselves naturally as complementary pieces to cans in School and Factory, 1850-1950 (Washington:
works like Inventing the Feeble Mind, Illusions of Gallaudet University Press, 1999).

If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the list discussion logs at:
http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrowse.pl.

Citation: Susan Burch. Review of Davis, Lennard J., Bending over Backwards: Disability, Dismodernism,
and Other Difficult Positions. H-Disability, H-Net Reviews. November, 2003.
URL: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=8410

Copyright © 2003 by H-Net, all rights reserved. H-Net permits the redistribution and reprinting of this
work for nonprofit, educational purposes, with full and accurate attribution to the author, web location, date
of publication, originating list, and H-Net: Humanities & Social Sciences Online. For any other proposed
use, contact the Reviews editorial staff at hbooks@mail.h-net.msu.edu.